An
introduction to voice and piano duo 'Music of the Fuchsia'
and fabulously re-interpreted Baroque music.The
cabaret style and creative flair of Rosemary Forbes-Butler
and Paul Ayres combine to bring you a refreshingly new musical
experience. They let loose their fertile imaginations, with
inspirational and entertaining results. Purcell, Weill, Handel,
Sondheim, McCartney & Lennon, Britten, Gibbons, Gershwin,
Messiaen, Sweelinck, folksong, poetry… they all receive
the Music of the Fuchsia treatment.

"It is possible to define the distinct and separate areas
of interpretation, composition, improvisation, arrangement and
musical performance? Music of the Fuchsia, the talented duo of
soprano Rosemary Forbes-Butler on vocals and composer Paul Ayres
on piano, think not. Guided by the spirit of the text and music
and by their own musical instinct and creativity, their innovative
approach is designed to stimulate, delight, provoke and entertain."

Volate, amori - Fly, loves, from two beautiful hearts, to celebrate
immense joy. The pleasure is so great, I cannot describe the exhilaration
....

Espoir si cher - Hope so dear and so sweet, ah! why have you deceived
me? You've made me fall from great splendour. A thousand hearts
loved me, I rejected them all. I only ask for ...

Rosemary
Forbes-Butler has concentrated on early and contemporary
music and has had a substantial number of new works written
for her and her vocal ensemble Rosy Voices. She premiered The
Silver Swan by Paul Clark and recently performed this work
at the Linbury Studio at the Royal Opera House, has toured
in Europe with the Hilliard Ensemble, sang lead roles for the
English National Opera project On Thee We Feed by Richard Chew
and for Robert Hugill’s opera Garrett. She sang Satie's
Socrate with John Tilbury at the Conway Hall as well as being
a guest soloist for the Alan Bush centenary concert at the
Wigmore Hall. Abroad has performed the role of Titania from
Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Spoleto Festival
under Richard Hickox, and has been invited to give many recitals
in Venice where she now lives. She has sung on television,
radio, for the Royal Opera House and London Sinfonietta Voices,
and on the soundtracks Moulin Rouge, Treasure Planet, Romeo+Juliet
and (featuring her kazoo debut) Chicken Run.

Paul Ayres, finalist in the first
BBC Young Composer of the Year award, works as a freelance
musician. His music is has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Classic
FM and mp3.com, and is published in Canada, USA and the UK.
His career as a concert organist has taken him to a large number
of cathedrals across Europe, North America and Australasia,
and his solo CD Passacaglia has received many favourable reviews.
Other projects in his musical life have included arranging
Meatloaf's Bat out of Hell for boy chorister & organ for
BBCtv, accompanying Radio 4's Daily Service, playing piano
for improvised comedy shows in fringe theatres, working as
a composer-in-education (Performing Right Society schemes),
and playing the organ for Christmas carols at the Royal Albert
Hall.